Samsung Starts Selling Gear VR Headset For $199

Samsung made its first foray into the world of virtual reality Monday by kicking off U.S. sales of its Gear VR headset. The device is available for $199.

Wearing the Gear VR, users can play virtual-reality games, watch 360-degree movies or take virtual tours of remote locations. The Gear VR is powered by Oculus VR, the virtual reality company purchased by Facebook earlier this year for $2 billion and the maker of the Oculus Rift headset.

To use the Gear VR, consumers must own a Galaxy Note 4 as the smartphone slides into the headset and serves as its display, engine and power source. Samsung is calling this version of the headset an "Innovator Edition" designed for developers and tech enthusiasts. That essentially means there's a high chance Samsung has yet to work out all the bugs.

“With Gear VR Innovator Edition, Samsung is putting the device in the hands of creators to craft amazing experiences, as we define this new mobile category together,” said Justin Denison, Samsung Telecommunications America vice president of product strategy and marketing, in a statement.